Can-opener.



No. 7435235. ?ATENTED Nov.-1o, 1903.'

' H. B. LANDS.

CAN OPENER.

APPLIOATIOI& FILE!) JENE 29, 1903.

HO M ODEL.

M %ci/f&

- this portion extending far enough from the UNITED sum %atentati November 10, 1903.

PATENT Erica HIRAM B. LANDIS, OF TRAIL, CANADA.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIEIOATIQN formng part of Letters Patent No. ?43,735, dated. November 10, 190 3.

Application filed June 29,1903. Serial No. 163.55 7. (Ne modeL) To ctlZ whom 'z may concerm Be it known that I, HIRAM B. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trail, British Columbia, Canada, have invented an. Improvement in Can-Openers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andj exact description ot the same.

My invention relates to a device which is; especially designed for cutting out tops ofcans and the like for the purpose of opening' the same.

It consists of a bracket or standard with means for permanently attaching to a table,

a plate connected therewith having holdingent heights, and a handle-bar swiveled to-turn v about the lower part of the ratchet-bar, saidhandle-bar carrying a knife adjustable upon it, so as to cut out thesection of the top of the can by turning the handle around its fixed center.

My invention also com prises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a View of my can-opener.`

It is the object of ny invention to provide a convenient stationary apparatus tobe used. in places where cans containing food products or other substances are to be opened, such cans being of various sizes.

As herein shown, A is a bracket or standard having divergent feet, with means by which' they may be Secured to a table or other con- Venient support. The standard is here shown as being rectangular in cross-section and at the other end is bent at ,right angles, as at 3,'

part A to allow cans of -any diameter to be centered beneath its outer end, as will be hereinafter described. The part 3 may either be bent upon itself or have fixed thereto a guide, as at 4, and through the parts 3 and 4 -rectangular openings are made,throughwhich a ratchet-bar 5 is slidable.` This ratchet-bar has teeth forrned upon one side, as at 6, and

these teeth are adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 7, which is movable at right angles with the ratchet-bar, being slidahle in a guide or guides formed in the part 4 and a standard 8, which is supported upon the horizontal part 3 of the standard. The spring 9 acts to normally press 'the pawl 'into contact with the ratchet-bar, and the pawl is provided with an enlargement or knob at the outer end by which it may be withdrawn and the ratchet-bar may be raised or lowered to adjust its lower end to any height of can which may be operated upon. The lower end of the ratchet-bar has a point or spur 10, which is adapted to enter the center of the can.

11 is a plate having at one end lugs 12, which are slidable and guided upon the edges of the standard A. .The outer end of this plate is provided with downwardly-projecting points or spurs13, disposed about the central pointof the'ratchet-bar and substantially equidistant therefrom. These spurs are sufficiently separated so that they may enter the top of the can, andthus steady it'and hold it in place, while the pin at the end of the ratehetbar alsoentering the cantop forms a center about which the cutter bar or handle is novable. This bar or handle 14 is pivoted upon the circular lower portion of the ratchet-bar 5 and just above the plate 11.

The handle 14 has a slot made in it, as at 15, and through this slot passes the shank of the blade or cutter 16. This shank may be screwthreaded and have a suitable nut and Washer or equivalent fastening, so that it may be Inovable radially from the central ratchet-bar point, and thus adjusted to cut any desired size of hole in the top of the can.

The upper part of theratohet-bar is made cylindrical above the guides-3 4:, as shown, and it has a head or cap 17 of sufficient size to serve as a handle upon which a blow' may be given to force the point of the ratchet-bar and the holding-pins through the metal of the can-top. This cap also serves as a handle by which to press the bar down for the purpose of assemblingor separating the parts.

A spring 18 surrounds the upper portion of the ratchet-bar, and by pressing against the under part of the cap or handle it normally holds the bar up, so that the rectangular or polygonal portion of the bar is slidable within the correspondingly-shaped openings in the guides 3 and 4, and whenever the pawl is retracted the spring will raise the ratchet-bar to any desired height to admit the can beneath the bar and the plate 11.

By forcibly striking the cap after the can is in place the ratchet-bar and the plate 11 will be driven down simultaneously, so that the spurs 13 and the center pin of the ratchetbar will simultaneously enter the top of the can.

When it is desired to assemble or separate the parts, the ratchet-bar is pushed down so far that the cylindrical portion is turnable within the guides 3 4, and as the lower portion of the ratchet-bar above the spur 10 is screw-threaded the parts are assembled by first fitting the lugs 12 of the plate 11 upon each side of the standard A. Then the handlebar, which ,has a hole fitting the lower circular part of the ratchet-bar, is placed upon the plate 11, and by turning the ratchet-bar while the cylindrical portion is within the guides the screw-threads at the lower end of the ratchet-bar will enter the plate 11 and secure the two parts together, while the handie-bar is turnable loosely above the plate and between it and the shoulder formed at the lower part of the polygonal portion of the adapted to enter the top of the can, a springpressed pawl slidable at right angles with the bar and adapted to hold it at any point of adjustnent to suit the height of the can, a handle turnable about the lower portion ot' the ratchet-bar and a knife or cutter adjustably attached to the handle.

2. The combination in a can-openingdevice of a vertically-disposed fixed standard having a horizontal arm at the upper end, verticallydisposed polygonal guide-openings carried by said arm, a correspondingly-shaped ratchetbar slidable in said opcnings and extending above the guide, said bar having a pointed pin at the lower end, a cap or handle at the top and a spring by which it is normally raised, anda spring-pressed pawl guided and slidable at right angles with the movement of the ratchet-bar and adapted to engage with the teeth thereof to hold it at any point of adjustment.

3. The combination in a can-opener of a fixed vertical standard having a substantially horizontal arin with polygonal guides at' the outer end, a ratchet-bar having a cross-section to fit and slide through said guides and a spring-pressed pawl engaging the ratchet to hold it at any point of adjustnent, a cap fixed to the upper end of. the ratchet-bar, a springlocated between the cap and the guides and acting to normally raise the bar, a plate having lugs at one end gnided and 'slidable upon the standard, said plate having downwardly-projecting pins or spurs at the outer end, and a screw-threaded opening through which the lower end of the ratchet-bar passes, a center pin projecting from the lower end of the ratchet-bar, a handle turnable about the lower part of the ratchet-bar, said handle being slotted and having a knife adjustably fixed thereto and adapted to cut the top of the can When revolved about its center of motion.

4. The combination in a can-opener of a vertically-disposed fixed standard having a horizontal projecting arm with guides at the outer end, a ratchet-bar vertically novable in said guide-openings, having a pin at the bottom adapted to enter the top of the can, and a spring pressed pawl engaging the ratchet-bar to hold it at any point of adjustment, a plate having lugs engaging the sides of the standard and guided thereby, said plates having pins projecting downwardly from its outer end to enter the can-top, and a central opening through which the ratchetbarpasses and by which it is locked to move in unison with the plate, a handle turnable about the lower part of the ratchet-bar and having an adjustable knife fixed and project- IOO ing froni it, a cylindrical extension of the V IIO 

